n+one cycling t-shirts

'i ride to stop the voices'

getting the message across is the hard part of any proselytising campaign, as indeed is the subtlety of pretending that there is not only no message in the first place, but that not imparting any of this non-existent message was never part of the deal in the first place. on occasion, i have made a mental note of minor successes along the way, when work colleagues accept the veracity of some obscure velocipedinal statement without so much as raising an eyebrow. or, even better, they claim to have successfully answered a cycling-related question on eggheads or a question of sport.

moments like those verify that all has not been in vain.

of course, it would be a tad self-congratulatory to imply that islay's general public have found this new interest in cycling predominantly through the efforts of yours truly. one must also, of necessity, cite the so-called wiggins bubble, a 2012 related happenstance that arguably brought cycling to a greater audience and not only in the competitive milieu.

raised awareness of cycling on a local level was the founding principle of thewashingmachinepost in the first place. mightily surprised at how few of the ilich pedalled anywhere at all on a relatively traffic-free island, i rather high-handedly decided to do something about it and twenty years later, i'm still at it, though i'd imagine there are very few on the isle in the habit of regular reading.

those of us in the velo club have thus come to the conclusion that perhaps the finest and most obviously subtle means of pledging our cause, is simply to ride our bicycles. and to ride our bicycles no matter the iniquities that might forfend that we do so. however, it may be a vain hope that coming across a phalanx of cyclists in the most obscure corners of islay in all weathers, might give cause for second thoughts amongst the civilian population as to their less than innocuous use of the motor car for journeys of a pointedly trivial matter.

no, me neither.

however, there is an additional means of getting the point across, one firmly based in humour. granted we have velominati's extensive rules, but those are mostly for the cognoscenti, of whom we are an integral part. however, i am thinking here of a self-deprecating humour that manages to point the finger at cyclists in general, all the while underlining just what truly superior beings we really are.

few of us, unfortunately, are gifted with the power of quick-witted, immediate retort in the face of an accusatory tirade. that is what t-shirts are for. and in the grand scheme of things and taking their name from one of those velominati rules (number twelve, now that you ask) n+one currently have an initial showing that not only provides the humorous opening gambit, but a more sober second line to firmly cement the deal. and lest you are of the wrongful opinion that a t-shirt is simply a t-shirt, those offered by n+one are of a seductive quality that your torso may not have come across in its previous travels.

almost custom-built for the mighty dave t, is fausto coppi's "age and treachery will overcome youth and skill", while more pertinent to my linguistic pedantry is the slogan "education is important, but cycling is importanter". both of these retail at a price of £22.50 and are available a variety of colours and in sizes ranging from small to xxl, meaning that even peter sagan and marcel kittel would not be disappointed.

this has not, you must understand, minimised my continued chipping at the edifice in those other offensives mentioned above, but at least i find myself sartorially advantaged while i work tirelessly in the background.